


to recreate us (all things grow)

by brandnewworldstosee



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek goes to school in new england and is happy, Derek-centric, Everybody Lives, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Gen, Grad Student Derek Hale, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, POV Outsider, he has sweaters and cocoa and mittens, soft derek, soft!derek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 15:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11716995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandnewworldstosee/pseuds/brandnewworldstosee
Summary: She had heard the stories, rumors and gossip. And these stories? Molly didn’t believe them. Not. A. Single. Word. The stories, you see, were about Grad Student Derek Hale. More specifically, his table and what would happen if you tried to take it, or bothered him while he was there.A soft!Derek future AU where he is far away from Beacon Hills and safe from all the shenanigans.





	to recreate us (all things grow)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a [post](https://agentpeggycartering.tumblr.com/post/160268303551/i-was-thinking-about-derek-hale-this-morning-i) that I wrote on tumblr when I was consumed by a lot of feels about Derek Hale.
> 
> This is shamelessly self-indulgent. I was originally going to have Derek going to school in MA, because there are soooo many college in MA that I thought Derek would find some small liberal arts school with a pretty campus that he would enjoy, but I ultimately moved him to Vermont, although the school is still loosely based on mine.
> 
> Title from Sufjan Stevens song "Chicago"
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to their original creator(s), I am merely playing around in the sandbox

Molly hadn’t been here long, having spent two years at a community college before transferring over.  It was only her second semester here, and her first working in the library (and she was _still_ amazed that she managed to get the job but she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth) but that didn’t mean she was dumb. She had heard the stories, rumors and gossip. And now that she was spending what felt like all of her free time in the library, because she was always working on projects when she wasn’t on shift, she knew that while some of the stories were true others were just… false. Part of that was due to the fact that this wasn’t her first rodeo. She had spent two years at community college. She was familiar with how stories passed around campus, morphed and changed as they went from person to person.

And these stories? Molly didn’t believe them. Not. A. Single. Word. The stories, you see, were about Grad Student Derek Hale. More specifically, his table and what would happen if you tried to take it, or bothered him while he was there. It was arguably the best table in the library, tucked back in a corner that didn’t have much foot traffic, walls on two sides and shelves on a third. Perfect view of the quad out the window, the trees, not the footpath that every walked on. And yeah, Derek can be scary with the way he zeroes in on someone or thing and glares, especially with all that scruff. And she’s heard him let out an animalist growl once or twice. But the glares are usually directed at people who are being obnoxious, or technology that isn’t cooperating with him. And she’s only seen him growl when he’s frustrated with whatever work she has spread out in front of him. And the man is always wearing sweaters, nice, soft, knitted ones that look well-worn and loved. She’s even seen him wearing sweaters with thumb holes in the sleeve. _Thumb holes_. The scarves and mittens he wears look like they were homemade, a little clumsy and uneven but soft and warm, good protection against the harsh New England chills. She hasn’t been able to figure out yet it he made them himself or if they were a gift but either way she can tell that they’re cherished. The man has sticky notes and colored tabs and four different colored pens and five different colored highlighters that he spreads out on the table when he’s in the library, all neatly lined up. Someone who puts that much work into their education can’t be all that bad.

And those rumors about him being anti-social, about only speaking in grunts and single syllables are absolutely _false_ , because he’s chatted with her while she was shelving books or assisting him, and he always smiles at her when she’s on duty when he comes in. And that smile? No one with a smile like that could be evil. It’s a wonderful smile, very Clark Kent, and Molly feels blessed every time that she sees it (and she’s not even into men). But it is a wonderful smile, that shows off his _adorable_ bunny teeth. It lights up his entire face. It makes his eyes, which Molly has caught a sad and haunted look in, light up. And that laugh. No truly evil person had a laugh like that. Or adorable bunny teeth. 

Derek always seems to be in the library when Molly is on shift and it doesn’t take long for them to fall into a routine. Molly wouldn’t go so far as to say that they’re friends, Derek doesn’t know her last name, but they’re certainly friendly with each other. He waves to her when he comes in if she’s there first, and if he gets there first he always looks up and sends a quick nod-wave-smile her way. He takes a break from his work to eat a snack and chat with her when she’s shelving books near his table. Usually not about what he’s working on, but funny stories about being a TA, stories about his fellow classmates as both an undergrad and grad student. He asks her questions about her major (professional writing), how long she’s been at the school (two semesters). She learned pretty early on that asking Derek personal questions had him clamming up and she stopped right away. Derek keeps up the small talk whenever she’s assisting him, searching for call numbers, placing holds, checking out materials. She’s always smiling as he walks away, which is a rarity because most people totally ignore her and scroll through their phones or try to argue with her.

She was surprised but not that worried when Derek is suddenly joined by a small girl with long dark hair. She seems quiet but tough and Derek’s entire demeanor changes once he sees her. For a split second the very first time she walks into the library while Molly is there he tenses but then he exhales and all of the tension leaves his body. He stands up, waiting at his table for her to reach him. The girl is quickly wrapped up in a hug, Derek burying his face in her neck. When they finally pull apart Derek’s eyes are glistening with tears but he is quite possibly both the most happy and relaxed Molly has ever seen him. 

Even before she saw the girls name on her student ID, Cora Hale, she would have assumed that they were related in some way. They had the same nose and the same kind of haunted look in their eyes. There was a familiarity in the way that they sat silently together, the comfort that they had in each other’s presence and all of the casual, familiar touches that they traded. Reassurances that the other person was still there.

Cora extends the same kindness towards Molly that Derek does, but not to the same level. She smiles at her and makes small talk, but she’s not as invested or diligent as Derek is. Although once Molly meets her it seems like the other girl is _everywhere_ that she goes. In the dining hall, on the quad, waiting for the shuttle, in the halls between classes. Molly doesn’t mind but it _is_ a little weird. She never sees Derek this much outside the library, but Cora is also an undergrad student so Molly supposes that it’s not that weird. 

But still. Even knowing all of that she was still worried one day when a couple strolled into the library, a confident blonde in heels and bright red lipstick and a dark, broad shouldered boy who seemed to content to follow her lead. Molly isn’t at the front desk when they walk in, she’s busy re-shelving a cart of books, so she doesn’t see them when they first walk in. They’re determined, walking like they’re on a mission. Which isn’t all that unusual for patrons who walk into the library. So that’s not what worries her. It’s not the fact that she’s never seen either of them around campus before, either. What worries her is the fact that the blonde zeros in on Derek right away and marches right towards him, the boy hot on her heels. It’s the way that Derek pales and goes tense that _really_ worries her. 

Molly carefully pushes her cart of books closer towards Derek, who is alone today, Cora only joining him a few days a week. The close the couple gets, the paler Derek gets. It looks like he mouths ‘no’ at one point. The blonde stops a few steps away from Derek’s table, her companion stopping next to her.

“Erica? Boyd? Is it really- But you’re- _how_?” Derek sounds so broken. 

“It’s really us, Der.” With that reassurance it’s like the floodgates have opened. Derek stands up from his seat, sending the chair crashing towards the ground he stands so quickly and forcefully, and the blonde- Erica, she assumes- rushes at him, tackling him to the floor with the force of her hug. He wraps his arms tight around her, tangling his fingers in the curly blonde strands of her hair. Her companion, who can only be Boyd, stands there looking down at them, arms crossed with a soft smile on face.

Not for long, though, because he’s suddenly being pulled down by Derek and Erica, who have pulled apart enough to squeeze Boyd in between them. They were something of a human puppy pile, sprawled out and tucked together as they were. As an employee Molly knew she should tell them something, they were blocking an aisle. And she also knew just how nasty that carpet probably was. But she didn’t have the heart to break them up. It’s not like anyone was going to come over there and disturb them. That was _Derek Hale._

Still, Molly wanted to keep her job, so she shuffled a few steps towards them and cleared her throat. All three heads whipped around to face her. Erica and Boyd were glaring at her, but Derek smiled and nodded when she tipped her head towards the table and pointed. Derek nodded in understanding and extracted himself from the tangle of limbs on the ground, holding out a hand to help Boyd and then Erica up. Derek settled back in his chair, Erica next to him and Boyd sitting across from him. She could feel Erica glaring at her as she walked away, muttering something that Molly was too far way to here but was positive was about her.

Just like Derek and Cora, Erica and Boyd became staples in the library, and Molly seemed to be the only person not afraid of them. If she thought that people already gave Derek and his table a wide berth they gave it an even wider one now that Erica was part of it. It took her a while to stop glaring at Molly every time that she passed them, but suddenly one day a few weeks later she gave Molly a smile when she walked into the library. She was caught so off guard she messed up the form that she was filling out and had to print a clean copy and start fresh. (It was not a problem that whiteout could fix)

Derek seemed happier now too. His smiles came even more freely, his eyes seemed lighter, and his laugh rang out louder (and more frequently). Molly was glad, although she was a little sad because they didn’t have the chance for as many chats now, his hours in the library seeming to shrink ever so slightly, and he never seemed to leave alone.

At least people didn’t think that Molly was so strange for thinking that Derek wasn’t that terrifying, since the changes in him were visible to even the most unobservant observer.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://agentpeggycartering.tumblr.com/)


End file.
